Looking Ahead To Spring

This weekend I will be heading to Charleston for a gymnastics meet with my daughters.  I am really looking forward to hearing the ocean, smelling the salty air and walking in the sand.  This has been a very long and hard winter for a lot of us.  Living in the south, we were not an exception.  I really thought for a while that I needed to move to Florida to escape the cold.  But just like always, mother nature throws us a little tease of what is to come.  It has been an amazing week in Atlanta, GA, nice warm weather and beautful skies.  Driving through my town, I even noticed the cherry blossom beginning to bud.  I love spring, well I love it until the pollen comes in, then it's not quite so enjoyable.

Which brings me to my topic today.  Sprucing up the home for the spring.  Today I thought I would share with you some photos of some rooms that make me feel good and that invoke that taste of spring that is right around the corner. 

I could really curl up in either of these rooms for a good read.  The soft colors make the room bright and cheerful.  I love the crisp white with the soft accent of blue and green in the top photo.  The warm buttery yellow wall color and the mix matched furniture in this room makes it cozy and inviting.

I can hear the ocean from this room.  The beautiful use of blue, white and green in this bedroom is spectacular.  The fabrics make a statement, but don't overwhelm the overall comfort and style.

I love the use of peacock blue and lime greens.  Peacock blue is an amazing color and has really hit the scene really hard.  It is fun and vibrant.  And I love the way they painted the chair in the fun lime green color.

Most important, don't forget about cleaning up your outdoor living spaces.  Now is a great time in Atlanta, to start using those spaces.  Outdoor spaces have really been making a statement the past few years.  Many people have been staycationing and are spending quality time at home with family and friends.  Your outdoor living space can actually be and extension of your home.  Here in Atlanta, we can use these spaces as early as February and as late as Novemeber.   Outdoor fabric companies have done an amazing job of manufacturing fabrics that are bright, bold and have beautiful designs.  These fabrics would be just as beautiful indoors as outdoors.

Hope these pictures have inspired you to take a look at your home and begin thinking about your spring spruce up.  I love looking at photos of great rooms for inspiration.  The internet is such a great source for ideas.  So if you can not surf the beautfiul ocean, surf the web for inspiration and ideas to bring new life into your home.

2011 Color Trends

The design world is looking at exciting new color pallets and design styles for 2011. According to Sherwin-Williams, people are ready this year to showcase their individualism through color and style.

We are facing hard economic times right now. These hard times are inspiring softer colors. The space should be fresh, airy, and innocent, flirty but fun. Pastels dominate this style, such as pistachio greens, pastel coppers, neutral browns, and splashes of chartreuse. This gentle medley style features butterfly and dragonfly motifs, vintage florals, mismatched flea-market finds, maps, and hand tinted photos. Think shabby chic meets romance with a flirty fun flair.

World travel is another dominant inspiration in 2011. The space should be exotic, sultry, and primal. Mix and match different ethnic patterns and animal prints, use aged leather and tapestries. A vibrant color pallet featuring hot pinks, rich reds, peacock blues, eggplant, mustard yellows can transform your space into another world. Draw from Moroccan and Turkish influences to design your space.

A luxurious space doesn’t have to scream expensive. True luxury whispers using clean and classic lines. It is elegant and understated. You can achieve this look through textured linens, concrete, and oval shapes with a muted color palette of grays, gray-blues, sage greens, deep lavenders, and splashes of cornflower blues and muted lime greens. This style is refined and classic.

Technology and avant-garde art are another big design inspiration this year. The space should be spontaneous and rebellious drawing inspiration from the Cynical Realism art movement of China and evoke the Carnaval spirit from Rio de Janeiro. Bright reds, lime greens, Kelly greens, sapphire blues, teals, and aqua make up the color pallet for this exciting style. Graffiti art, neon, Latin American influences, pixilated images, modular furniture, and clashing patterns are some of the more prominent elements of this bold, high-energy style.

We are seeing a lot of exciting new things for 2011. Whatever design style that speaks to you the most, be sure that you are making it your own and showcase your individual style. Whether it is the bright color pallet of the world or the muted classic look, put your signature on it. It’s your space-own it and enjoy it!

Thanks to Sherwin Williams and Robert Allen for providing us a look in to 2011.